Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

About Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation arrived in late 1999 as the fourth main entry from Core Design. This title follows Lara Croft into ancient Egypt where she accidentally frees the dark god Set. Players control her on PlayStation, PC, Mac, Dreamcast, and later PSP and PS3 versions. The story is a race against time to seal the deity back inside his tomb before total darkness consumes the world. It keeps the series' signature mix of shooting, exploring, and cracking codes but expands the scope significantly. You navigate massive interconnected zones rather than isolated stages. This installment marks a shift in how levels connect and forces you to think about sequence breaking in new ways while wielding more diverse weapons.

Gameplay

Sessions involve sprinting across sandy ruins, climbing steep rock faces, and solving environmental puzzles that span multiple connected areas. You spend time memorizing which lever in one chamber opens a door three levels away. Combat shifts as Lara gains access to a revolver and a bow capable of firing exploding or poison arrows alongside her signature dual pistols. Typical gameplay loops require you to backtrack frequently since progress in one section often depends on actions completed elsewhere. The camera angles remain fixed but adjustable, demanding precise jumps and timing to avoid fatal falls. You spend minutes carefully scanning walls for hidden switches or pressure plates before advancing further into the dark.

What Players Think

The PlayPile community rates this title at 75.6 out of 100 based on 146 user ratings on IGDB. Critics and players alike note a completion rate that drops significantly in later levels due to complex puzzle requirements. Average playtime sits around 8 hours for a standard run, though some veteran explorers spend double that time hunting for every secret. Community mood data shows high engagement during the Egypt sequences but frustration spikes when players get stuck on inter-level puzzles. Review snippets often mention the challenging difficulty of backtracking without clear visual cues. Achievement hunters report finding the trophy list demanding, with many users failing to unlock everything on their first playthrough due to missing items in earlier zones.

PlayPile's Take

This game is worth your time if you enjoy methodical exploration and don't mind struggling through opaque puzzles. The $10 price point makes it a steal for retro enthusiasts who want the full classic experience across multiple platforms. You will unlock 42 achievements if you can survive the final boss without reloading constantly. Lara's new weapons add variety, but the level design remains unforgiving. Do not buy this if you prefer fast-paced action without thinking. Finish the game and see if the struggle was worth the payoff.

Storyline

According to Egyptian legend, Horus, son of the light, outwitted the evil God Set and imprisoned him in a secret tomb. Five thousand years later, Lara Croft discovers the lost tomb and unwittingly unleashes the evil God Set, fulfilling the ancient prophecy of his return to plunge mankind into darkness! In a race against time, Lara must use all her wit and skill to re-imprison Set and save the world from Armageddon.